5 Surprising Sun Protection Facts You NEED To Know

I love spending time outside in the sun, but my mom has always taught me to wear sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Even on cloudy days, I’m making sure to take care of my skin! However, even when you’re taking care of your skin, there may be details you don’t know. That’s why I wanted to share these important sun protection facts that Byrdie published. These are quoted from them!

“Surprise—a higher SPF number doesn’t always mean you’re getting more protection. “There is very little difference [between] an SPF 30, 50, or 100 when it comes to blocking UV rays,” Tanzi says. The SPF number is a measure of how long it would take for you to burn if you weren’t wearing any sunscreen, as opposed to the time it would take with sunscreen on. An SPF of 30 blocks about 97% of UVB rays, and anything above that increases by only one or two percent. Tanzi advises that how often you apply your sunscreen is much more important than how high the SPF rating is: “It is far better to use an SPF 30 [often], than an SPF 50 without reapplying,” she says.

SPF protects you against UVB rays, which cause sunburns, but not UVA rays, which is linked to deeper skin damage and the culprit for aging skin. UVA rays cause issues like wrinkling, brown spots, coarsening, hyperpigmentation, and more. Both types, however, can contribute to skin cancer, which is why she recommends always looking for products labeled as “broad spectrum” (more on that later).

You may not know this, but there are actually two different types of sunscreen: mineral and chemical. “Mineral sunscreens are ‘physical’ sunscreens and contain zinc or titanium,” Tanzi says. They deflect the sun’s rays, instead of absorbing them, like chemical sunscreens do. Both are FDA-approved, but many people may prefer mineral sunscreens because they’re made with more natural ingredients.

“Broad spectrum refers to the products ability to block both UVA and UVB rays,” Tanzi says. “In the past, most sunscreens just blocked UVB rays, but we now know that UVA is very damaging to the skin also.” Always choose a sunscreen labeled as broad spectrum to protect your skin from both!

One last surprising fact—SPF may not be enough to fully protect you. “Most people may not realize that sunscreen is NOT 100% perfect even if you use a lot,” Tanzi says. “That’s why you can get tan even when you use a lot of it!” Applying SPF is just one part of protecting your skin from the sun—she says it’s also important to cover your skin with clothes, seek shade, and wear hats and sunglasses with UV protection.”